1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of optical storage media and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for remanufacture of encrypted content using a replicated medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Optical storage media, such as Compact Disc (CD), Digital Versatile Disc (DVD), High-Definition Digital Versatile Disc (HD DVD), and Blu-ray Disc (Blu-ray or BD), may be used for various purposes. For example, optical storage media may be used to store video, audio, and/or data information. Large-scale reproduction of optical storage media is known as replication, and is generally performed in a replication facility.
Using prior art techniques, in order to create a HD DVD or BD replica disc, original content is provided to the replication facility as an authored image. For example, the original content may be provided as a Cutting Master Format (CMF) image.
The original content may be provided to the replication facility in either an encrypted or an unencrypted form. If the original content is unencrypted, encryption is performed on the content, according to encryption specifications, using encryption keys generated by encryption software. Alternatively, the CMF image may already be encrypted when provided to the replication facility.
Once the content is encrypted, the content is ready to be “signed.” For example, a license authority may provide a signed certificate that is then embedded into the image. The encrypted and signed content is written onto a master digital recording source, typically formed of glass, using a laser recording system. The glass master is then used to create metal stampers, which are in turn used in an injection molding process to create replica optical storage media.
Several problems exist with the current replication process. If original content providers want additional copies of the replicated media after the initial large-scale production, then the replication facility is contacted to make the additional copies. However, the replication facility may not have saved the original content. Also, even if the replication facility did save the original content, the content is not signed and would need to be re-signed by the licensing authority, which introduces significant fees. Furthermore, the replication facility may not simply feed a signed and encrypted replica into the front end of the replication process, as this may violate the terms of duplication license agreements.